Our Network of Shows

Our Chevelle Build

Support The Shows

Sell Your Muscle Car With Us!

Our listings are VERY search engine friendly due to our use Search Engine Optimization... so people can FIND your car!

Your listing will be immediately available online for the world to see - no wait time!

Include up to 10MB of pictures in your Ad for NO EXTRA FEES!

Your listing will be viewed by genuine muscle car fanatics!

Are you a classic car dealer selling muscle cars? Contact us here to speak to a member of our Sales team and to discuss our membership rates. Memberships are our BEST VALUE for placing multiple listings! We will migrate in your entire inventory for you for FREE and can automatically maintain your listings to be in sync with your EXISTING company website! Click here for more details!

FEATURE INTERVIEW

This week’s podcast show guest is Jim Goodlad, the man known as “GMJim” on the forums and the guy that handles all of the technical questions for Hurst Driveline Conversions. Hurst Driveline specializes in swap kits of 5 and 6-speed Tremec transmissions specifically designed for the majority of the popular ’60′s and ’70′s era American muscle cars, including the majority of GM applications, Ford, and (*gasp*) even Mopar!

During our interview I gained a little history on Hurst Driveline Conversions. Many of you may know it under one of it’s previous names, Classic Chevy 5-Speed, but today it’s under the B&M family of companies – thus the reason that they now offer swap kits for applications other than just Chevy’s. In addition to the kits they already have created, Jim let me know that they can also create a custom kit with just the right parts for each person, so even if they don’t have a kit for your specific car that doesn’t mean that they can’t create a one-off just for you.

The transmission lineup that they offer are the aftermarket versions of the 5-speed TKO-500 and TKO-600 (5-speed) transmissions, plus the T-56 Magnum (6-speed).

The number used in the transmission designation on the 5-speeds represent the lb-ft of torque that the transmission is rated for, and they offer multiple versions of each trans with differing gear ratios, with different internal ratios and final overdrive (like .82, .68, etc.).

The T-56 can handle over 700 ft-lbs of torque and also has multiple gear ratio options. (As a side note, their website has a fun calculator to play with to see what you new engine RPM’s will be at highway speed once your overdrive is in place.)

On the left is a factory Tremec shifter. On the right, a low profile BlackJack with an offset for a '69 Camaro (with a 4-speed console).

One of the big benefits of the Hurst kit is that they have a low profile proprietary offset shifter (called the “Black Jack”) that allows the shifter handle. This is a nice deal as the factory shifter location on a Tremec is directly in the middle of the back of the transmission, not on the side. For many GM applications, this shifter (and there are many different versions of it for the different applications) it effectively lets the shift handle pop up through the factory shifter hole. This is a nice option especially for those with factory 4-speed cars that would like to retain the factory look of an original console (Jim has this setup in his personal ’69 Camaro Z/28).

Here's where the Black Jack comes in handy. With the offset in place the shifter pops up right through the factory 4-speed hole in Jim's '69 Camaro.

I asked Jim specifically if it’s required to cut the floor on most muscle car applications to install a Tremec. As you might guess, the honest answer was….it depends!

For First Gen Camaros, there is likely no cutting needed – they already have the room as long as there’s no sag in the body and the body mounts are good. For A-Body GM’s (like Chevelle’s, GTO’s, etc.), plan to cut, but they’ll provide the template and sheet-metal to make it as easy as possible. For Fords, likely no cutting is required since the Tremec is based on the old Ford Toploader manual trans. For Mopars, it can depend.

At the end of the discussion I walked Jim though my personal ’64 Chevelle build and asked his recommendation on which transmission I should run. Many of you know that I bought the Hurst Driveline TKO-600 back in 2010, but now the car is undergoing a massive Pro-Touring conversion. For those of you looking to extend your driver-status muscle car into one with an overdrive, the 5-speed is probably your best option – it’s cheaper and a better fit for the application. If you’re looking for a Pro-Touring ride that will see autocross and road race duties, go with the 6-speed (and we dug into why that is during the interview).

If you’d like to speak with Jim directly with questions he can be reached via e-mail at jim@hurst-drivelines.com. He also did a nice write-up on the installation of a TKO-600 into his personal Camaro, which is availability on the Hurst Driveline Conversions website.

WIN $750 FROM CPG!

The Prize Segment sponsored by the COMP Performance Group is back, and it’s back BIG! Entrants can enter to win a HUGE $750 gift certificate that will be awarded quarterly, and there are two ways to enter:

Go to www.themusclecarplace.com/contestand fill out the details there to enter the contest. Be sure to use the links in the contest to share it on Facebook, Twitter, and your own websites. For everyone that joins the contest because of your referral, YOU GET MORE ENTRIES!

Answer the bonus question given out in this podcast show. E-mail your answer to bonus@themusclecarplace.com for an additional 20 points!

Robert is the owner and creator of The MuscleCar Place. His passion for muscle cars drove the creation this site and the podcasts that go with it, and he'll be the first to admit it's a lot more fun than having a real job.